Federal Agency Says Aviation Concepts Fired Jehovah's Witness for Not Raising Flags.
Bangalore
Federal Agency Says Aviation Concepts Fired Jehovahs Witness for Not Raising Flags
by Bangalore 13 Replies latest jw friends
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Giordano
"The federal agency originally filed suit against Aviation Concepts in September 2011, charging that the company fired Armando Perez, an assistant mechanic and practicing Jehovah’s Witness, after he informed his supervisor that he did not wish to perform certain acts that conflicted with his religious beliefs. Specifically, the EEOC alleged that a manager ordered Perez to raise the U.S. and Guam flags at the worksite in June 2010. Perez explained that raising the flags would violate his religious beliefs; however, the manager ordered Perez to go home and then fired him that same day for insubordination."
Well, we were all in mr. Perez's position at one time during our JW years. The manager was an idiot and wound up costing his company over $50,000.
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darth frosty
Pretty dumb thing to fire someone over and open the company to litigation.
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designs
If they win its Jehovah's hand and if they lose its a test from Satan
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snakeface
I'm pretty sure the outcome of this hinges upon whether or not that was part of his regular job duties.
For example, at one time (as a JW) I had an evening job in a small hotel on the beach. I woprked at the front desk but one of my responsibilities was to walk around the pool area and bldg just before sunset (since the mainenance man would have left by then) and make sure all the lights were coming on, for the pool, the pool deck, parking lot and so on. If not on I could simply check the circuit breakers or timers and flip them on. If there was a problem I could call the mantenance man to come back. During the holidays, Christmas lights were put up. So, during that season I would also have to flip a few extra switches as I made my rounds, to turn on the Christmas lights. I did not consider that as "participating" in the holidays, so I went ahead and included that in my routine. However, if I had been asked to help put up the lights or to decorate the tree in the lobby, that would have been different, because it was never part of my job to change any lightbulbs or hang any signs. My main job was at the front desk.
The WT used the example of a witness who works at a cashier in a store that sells many items. If a customer comes thru the line with many items, and among those items is a pkg of cigarettes, that witness could in good conscience ring up the cigarettes along with the other items. (we can add to this illustrations a JW who is a Walmart cashier and a customer is buying holiday items or birthday cards.) However it would not be appropriate for the witness to work in a store that sells only cigarettes and related items (a tobacco shop).
What if a JW sister had a job cleaning houses for worldly people - as many do - and one of her duties was to dust all the knick knacks on the shelves and tables. The one day the householder adds a religious statue or a Santa Claus figure. Would the witness dust everything in the house except that one item?
So if this man's job as a mechanic included tasks such as sweeping the tarmac, turning on outside lights, raising and lowering the flag each day, that should be addressed when applying for the job. If he accepted the job on the condition that this was one of his responsibilities, then he is in the wrong. However, if he had never been asked to handle the flag before, all the time he had worked there, and the boss suddenly wants him to do it - knowing that the employee had previously explained his beliefs - then the boss was wrong.
However, in the big picture, the employee should be "reasonable". What if the boss had asked him to put up a flag or sign that was for advertising, or that said, "Now Open" or something like that. He would have done it. So, putting up the national flag wouldn't requrie any more effort than that. He would be just hanging up something for other people to see. He himself would not be worshipping it or saluting it.
I think some witnesses just use this non-participation thing as a way to become a martyr unnecessarily, thinking they'll earn brownie points with the organization.
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undercover
Pretty dumb to risk getting fired just for refusing to hang a piece of cloth from a pole...
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skeeter1
If JW nurses/doctors are allowed to give blood transfusions - it is the patient's (not practicioner's) sin against Jehovahs. Then why can't a JW employee be told to raise a flag? It's not on his person. He's not being asked to wear a flag pin, wear a Santa's hat, say, "Merry Christmas" etc. It is the company's flag pole and grounds upon which the company wants the flag raised. The company is "sinning"! It is not in his conscience. It is the employer's conscience.
JWs are not supposed to work for a defense contractor as it aids in war. Not even as a secretary. It's becuase the company mainly does promotes war. So, a JW would not even apply for such a job. And, a JW that already worked there would quit. The JW would not say, "Oh, I can't do the accounting on this project becuase it promotes war." Would the defense contractor have the right to fire the JW employee who refused to do tasks that went to the heart of the employer's business? Yes.
The only part of this that could be argued on the JW side is that the employer could make a "reaonsable accomodation." I don't know if there was another employee who could have done this task or not.
Skeeter
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james_woods
Pretty dumb to risk getting fired just for refusing to hang a piece of cloth from a pole...
Yes, it was - and I don't think that it is really even against JW rules. It is not the same as personally saluting the flag, after all...
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undercover
and I don't think that it is really even against JW rules.
Technically, I think it is...or was at one time. When I was in school, we were supposed to avoid raising the US flag for the school. Back when I was in elementary school, they chose a different student each day to go out and raise the flag, with help from a teacher. I was never picked so never had to refuse, but I was fully expected to stand my ground and refuse to do so if the occasion ever presented itself. I think...think, that is, not 100% positive... that it's mentioned in the "school" brochure.
As a kid, I couldn't have had my own personal convictions on it...I was just doing what I was commanded, by parents and elders.
As an adult, I reasoned on it quite differently. The flag is just a symbol. Very powerful symbol for some, not much more than representing where you live to others. Raising it...or standing for it...it doesn't mean anything if you don't want it to. Being asked to do it as part of your job, or even as a favor for an elderly person (happened to me once, which I happily did for them), it's just not that big of a deal.
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james_woods
Hmmm...interesting.
Maybe somebody can find it in print somewhere?